Food poisoning in Goa jail: Prison officials to face action

Goa`s prison department has decided to initiate disciplinary action against its officials named in an inquiry committee report in the food poisoning suffered by 100-odd jail inmates in May.

Panaji: Goa`s prison department has decided to initiate disciplinary action against its officials named in an inquiry committee report in the food poisoning suffered by 100-odd jail inmates in May.

The Jailor of Central Jail at Aguada, Vithal Gawas, is among those indicted by the high-level probe panel, police sources said.

A prisoner, Mahadev Gaonkar, died and 100-odd others were taken ill on May 31 after they suffered food poisoning at the Central Jail and also at a sub-jail in Mapusa town, about 15 km from here. The food prepared at Aguada prison was served to inmates at Mapusa sub-jail too.

Disciplinary action will be taken against all those indicted in the report, Inspector General of Prison Mihir Vardhan told PTI today.

The report is being examined, he said.

The inquiry was conducted by North Goa Additional District Magistrate Dipak Desai, who recorded the statement of jail officials and also prisoners, who had suffered the poisoning.

"We will frame charges within a week against all those named (in the report)," Vardhan said.

According to the report, Gaonkar died due to lack of proper medical attention for almost five hours and blamed the Jailor for the lapse.

PTI

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